Darren's Blog

Online Blogs vs Private Journals

I’ve had a daily journaling habit for years. Why do I find it so difficult to share my thoughts online? It comes down to a fear of judgment.

When journaling, the words flow freely.

I never struggle to find things to write about, and I don’t worry about sentence structure, grammar, or anything else. I’m entirely free to express myself. There’s lots of rambling, but this stream-of-consciousness journaling style helps me clarify my thoughts.

It’s the complete opposite when I’m writing a blog post.

I’m hypercritical of everything, agonizing over every word. Writing even a short post, status update, or reply takes me hours. I’m also guilty of editing a post dozens of times after clicking the publish button. It sucks the joy out of writing.

So, I’ve decided to try a different approach.

I’m going to blog in a more open, free-flow style. It won’t be perfect, but that's ok. If I can’t find a way to relax and enjoy blogging, then what’s the point?